Dozens of openly gay candidates across country win races

Victory Fund says at least 31 of 71 candidates endorsed this year have been elected to office

A campaign consultant speaks to an audience during a Victory Fund and Leadership Institute seminar in Colorado Springs, Colo., in 2005. The seminars appear to be working.

The Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund reported this week that dozens of openly gay and lesbian candidates running in municipal and state legislative races across the country won on Tuesday, Nov. 6.

Of the 71 candidates endorsed by the group in 2007, at least 31 won their races this week, while 10 were elected earlier this year. At least three more endorsed candidates received enough votes to advance to runoff elections.

The Victory Fund’s 71 endorsements set a new record for an odd-numbered year in which there are no scheduled federal elections. In 2006, the group endorsed 88 candidates and it expects to endorse more than 100 candidates in 2008, according to Chuck Wolfe, the Victory Fund’s president and CEO.

Gay Fort Worth City Council candidate Joel Burns was among the fund’s endorsed candidates to advanced to a runoff (See story, Page 1).

Other endorsed candidates included:

– Craig Covey, who won his race for mayor of Ferndale, Mich., to become the first openly gay mayor elected in the state of Michigan.

– Michelle Bruce, an openly transgender incumbent on the Riverdale, Ga., City Council, who was the top vote-getter in her race and advances to a runoff election.

– New Jersey State Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, who became the state’s first openly LGBT state legislator when he came out publicly during his current term, and who won re-election to his seat.

– Jeffrey Anderson, who was elected to the Duluth City Council, becoming the first openly gay elected official in northern Minnesota.

– Tim Eustace, who won his race for mayor of Maywood, N.J.

– Brian Bates, who won a seat on the Doraville, Ga., City Council to become the first openly gay Republican ever to win office in the state, and

– Lydia Lavelle, who won a seat on the Carrboro, N.C., Board of Aldermen, becoming the seventh openly LGBT candidate ever elected in the state.

The Victory Fund also endorsed Sue Lovell, who was re-elected to the Houston City Council, and Annise Parker, who was re-elected as Houston controller.